Quick Hits: Bernhard Raimann Talks Learning Football, Changing Positions
It seems like the Indianapolis Colts draft someone each year who has an interesting story of how they got to the NFL.
We already got that on Day 2 of the draft after the Colts selected Austrian-born Bernhard Raimann out of Central Michigan with the 77th-overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Raimann spoke with the local media after learning that Indianapolis would be his next destination, and he elaborated on his childhood in Europe, learning how to to play football as a teenager, and what it means to play next to Colts All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson.
Here are the quick hits:
Raimann spoke about learning how to play football growing up in Austria. He also discussed former NFL offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer, who was born in Germany and also didn't start playing football until he was a teenager.
It all happened pretty randomly to be honest. I grew up playing soccer and then other sports, but one day when I was 13 years old, I saw some guys down the road playing catch with a football down by my dad’s house. I ended up joining them and I had just a ton of fun just rolling around with them, tackling, throwing the ball. So, on my 14th birthday, there was a tryout for the Vienna Vikings, a club American football team in Vienna. I ended up trying out, worked out and just went from there...
Yes, definitely (on watching Vollmer growing up). Obviously, I watched a lot of tape on him and obviously his story inspired me. Right before the Super Bowl this year, I actually got to go to an NFL international event and I got to meet to him in person. So, that was huge for me as a player. We got to talk some ball together. That was an awesome experience for me kind of meeting my football idol. That was always a huge thing for me.
The Colts and Raimann kept in touch throughout the pre-draft process, particularly with Colts offensive line coach Chris Strausser.
Yeah, it really was a surprise, but I had some great talks with Coach Strausser. I had some really great meetings with the rest of the Colts’ staff as well as some scouts there too. I just knew I was ready to work wherever I was going to end up. I was fortunate enough to end up with the Colts. I really just got lucky, and I just felt blessed more than anything in that moment. It was a huge surprise and I’m just blessed to be here.
Raimann's plus athleticism and work ethic has aided him in transitioning from tight end to offensive tackle in college, and then ultimately to the NFL.
I take a lot of pride in my athleticism. I keep working on it, no matter how much weight I gain or whatever. I try to be as athletic as I can so then that way, I can be out on the field playing loose, playing aggressive and really can enforce my playing style on the defense. For me, it’s a really important part of my game and I just plan on improving it more and more and keep working...
It was just different movements at first, things I have never done before. I have had some great coaches to help me out. It was my work ethic that wouldn’t let me stop. It wouldn’t let me go to sleep at night until I got my reps perfect. I was out there on the field by myself just trying to get everything worked out as good as I could. I also had some really good support. I think that helped me tremendously in making the transition from tight end to tackle.
The opportunity to work alongside Quenton Nelson is something that Raimann considers to be "a once in a lifetime opportunity."
That’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. His nastiness, his ability to finish is something that I look forward to in my game as well. Obviously Quenton Nelson is one of the best guards in the game. I’ve been watching him. So, getting the chance to practice with him, learn from him and getting to work with him every single day is a huge opportunity for me and I’m just looking forward to every single day.
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